


Thinking in Figures of Eight

by fxckthisfxckthat



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Fluff, Needles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 17:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21165551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fxckthisfxckthat/pseuds/fxckthisfxckthat
Summary: Sephiroth had never quite been able to leave the labs, never allowed to see the sun outside. Today, that changes.





	Thinking in Figures of Eight

**Author's Note:**

> My entry for Sephiroth week day one. A day late I know but I had lost track of when the event began. I'll try to keep better track next time I swear!

Sephiroth sat on the examination table swinging his legs. His hands held onto the edge of it at his side. The professor had told him to sit here for a moment while he prepared his shots. He never really liked them. They stung going in and it felt like fire going through his veins.

When he looked up from his feet, he was in front of him. "Tilt your head to the side. We'll make this quick." The professor held the needle and a disinfectant wipe. Sephiroth tilted his head as he was instructed, pushing his hair behind his ear. The ends of his hair curled. The professor's didn't. He wondered why. 

He shuttered feeling the cool damp fabric against his neck. One of his hands moves to grip his other arm. "Close your eyes or look away." While the professor's face was set in a hard expression, his voice was far from it. "I know you don't like these, so try not to look at it and it should help. I'm going to touch you so I can make sure the needle goes in smoothly." The boy nods softly, looking off to a spot on the ceiling. He felt a gloved hand press against his neck, then he felt the light sting of the needle. When the professor pushed down the plunger of the needle is when the pain really started. His eyes squeeze shut as he winced. It felt like he was being burned from the inside out. His grip on his arm tightened, trying to distract himself from the pain. His breathing had picked up significantly now. He didn't feel the needle leave his skin, too distracted by the now dulling flare of pain. "There. Was that so bad?" The professor asked, though Sephiroth knew better than to answer. A small bandage was placed over where the needle had been. The hand that had been squeezing his arm moved to rub the spot the needle had been. He saw the professor's eyes fixated on his right arm, the one he'd been squeezing. He'd squeezed too hard. His arm was starting to bruise.

He opened his mouth to apologize but the professor spoke first. "Only nine years old and you are already strong enough to bruise yourself...How peculiar. May I?" 

Sephiroth held his arm out and the doctor held it carefully, observing the bruise. The boy wondered why the doctor thought that was such an accomplishment but his lips stayed sealed. It wasn't like he hadn't broken several arms, killed people who touched him. "Does it hurt still?" The older man spoke, running his fingers over the mark. Sephiroth, now being pulled from his thoughts, winced slightly. "Yessir."

Once the professor seemed satisfied, he allowed the child use of his arm again. Sephiroth pulled his arm to his chest in a near protective manner. "If I recall," The professor begins with a thoughtful tone. "Today is your birthday. Is there anything you want to do?"

A list of things came to mind. Going outside, learning about his family. Meeting other people his age. There was a lot he wanted to do. Most of them unlikely to happen. He wasn't supposed to leave the lower levels of the lab and the professor always seemed hostile when it came to his own past.

"Can we go outside?" Little green eyes looked up to him and his voice was barely audible. It was as if he believed his request would be denied. Hojo let out a breath. He could almost hear Lucrecia's approval of the request. He could hear the joy in her voice as she would tell them to all go outside together. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a breath. "Is that what you want?" He looked up in time to see Sephiroth nodding.

"Yessir."

"Alright then. Get changed and come back in here when you're done." 

He watched the child's eyes widen at the approval. Hojo saw when Sephiroth had processed the sentence and scrambled off the examination table and ran off. When Hojo went to grip at him he realized the boy was already gone. "Lu your boy is going to be the death of me..." Hojo spoke under his breath, sitting down at his desk. He remembered the first time he held him, how unlike him the child looked. He still told himself he'd raise the child, even after Lucrecia passed. He must have been out of it because he didn't hear the pitter patter of tiny shoes on the floor stopping at his door.

"Professor?" A small voice spoke. "Yes, yes I'm coming." The man stood up from his desk walking over to Sephiroth who'd been peaking in the doorway. He leaves the lab with Sephiroth following behind him, occasionally peaking past him with curiosity boiling over. He gestured him to press the elevator call button and he couldn't help the small smile that he let out when the boy eagerly hit the button. Hojo's hands were in his pockets of his labcoat. Glancing to his side, he could see Sephiroth rocking on the balls of his feet as they waited for the doors to open.

A chime sounded and the doors pulled open. Thankfully no one was inside to question him about this. Sephiroth darts past him into the elevator quickly as if he was scared to be pulled away from it. A small chuckle came from him as he stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor. The doors close behind him and the elevator begins to move. Standing here, he can almost feel the joy radiating off Sephiroth. 

When the doors pull open, Hojo feels a small hand grasp his own. He looks down to Sephiroth, who was staring straight ahead. He returns the gesture and steps out, leading the boy through the building. Sephiroth hadn't been in this section of the building, meaning he had no clue how to navigate around. Walking past the front desk he earned some stares, Sephiroth even more but the nine year old was preoccupied with the front doors to care.

The look on his face was eerily similar to Lucrecia's when it lit up once they made outside. Sephiroth had raised a hand to block the sunlight only for a moment before lighting up seemingly brighter than the sun itself. The child's hand slipped from Hojo's grip, just taking in everything he could. Anyone else would not have noticed the way the corners of Sephiroth's mouth pulled upward and his shoulders relaxed.


End file.
